Category Archives: Energy News

£14 million cash boost to accelerate rollout of low carbon heating

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More than £14 million is being made available to accelerate the installation of heat pumps and heat networks across the country, as a new scheme launches to train thousands of installers.

Over £9.7 million will go towards 4 projects based across the country, from Bristol to Cambridgeshire – helping cut costs of these low carbon technologies, and reducing disruption to consumers by coordinating the wide-spread rollout in concentrated areas.

To propel the move to cleaner energy in homes, a new £5 million Heat Training Grant will support 10,000 trainees over the next 2 years to become low carbon heating experts – creating new green jobs and growing our economy in flourishing green industries. Grants of up to £500 will go towards training with heating manufacturers such as Panasonic, Valliant and Worcester-Bosch expected to offer additional discounts to participating trainees.

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Lord Callanan, said:

This funding will give the rollout of heat pumps a huge boost by making them cheaper and easier to install, and importantly helping more households move away from costly fossil fuels.

But we need a skilled workforce to deliver this, so we’re training thousands of people to be experts at installing heat pumps and heat networks, driving the country’s push towards net zero.

We’re also making sure the cost of installing a heat pump is more affordable than ever before through grants of up to £6,000 through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and a zero rate on VAT. So, it’s right we also put funding in place to train installers to meet demand.

Heat pumps are highly efficient and reliable and are key to cutting carbon emissions using cheaper renewable energy produced here in the UK.

The government’s £60 million Heat Pump Ready programme aims to develop innovative solutions to reducing barriers to the rollout of low carbon technology in homes and businesses across the UK.

The 4 Heat Pump Ready projects, 2 in Oxfordshire and one each in Bristol and Cambridgeshire have been successful in the second phase of funding.

The innovation programme runs alongside the government’s £450 million Boiler Upgrade Scheme, that provides up to £6,000 grants to homeowners towards the cost of a heat pump, and a zero rate of VAT, making clean heating measures even more affordable for people looking to replace gas or oil boilers in their property.

Work on installing heat pumps purchased through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme will begin in the successful projects from late December this year. The government expects heat pump deployment to reach 600,000 per year in 2028, a tenfold increase from 2021.

To meet demand, the Heat Training Grant will provide heating engineers with grants of up to £500 towards training.

The grant could cover most of the cost of a level 3 heat pump course, which takes one week or less for an experienced gas or oil heating installer to complete. In addition, heating manufacturers including Baxi, NIBE, Panasonic, Vaillant, Ideal Heating and Worcester-Bosch are expected to offer additional discounts and offers to participating trainees. These benefits could be worth up to a further £500 in product vouchers, additional training and other support, helping trainees put their new skills into practice.

Karen Boswell, Managing Director UK and Ireland at heating manufacturer Baxi, said:

We welcome the government’s investment in developing the new skills needed to support the growth of low-carbon heating solutions in homes and buildings.

We are fully committed to helping the industry transition to net zero, and we’re focused on helping individuals access opportunities to participate in the anticipated growth of air source heat pumps.

Shaun Edwards, CEO Groupe Atlantic UK, ROI and North America Divisions, said:

At Ideal Heating we believe installers will play a critical role in the decarbonisation of heating and we welcome further government funding targeted at heat pump training. Our Ideal Heating Expert Academy has also committed to providing additional subsidised training for installers participating in the government scheme.

This financial support, together with the forthcoming opening of our state-of the-art National Training and Technology Centre, will make the upskilling of the sector to install and maintain heat pumps as affordable and accessible as possible, to support the drive to net zero.

Carl Arntzen, CEO of Worcester Bosch said:

We are delighted to see the announcement by government of the funding for installers to become qualified to install heat pumps. There is great interest in future technologies and with this funding installers can gain the confidence and skills to offer heat pumps to their customers.

The latest support comes in addition to the £15 million government has already committed to developing skills in the energy efficiency and low carbon heating sectors since 2020.

The government already funds heat pump training through the Home Decarbonisation Skills Competition, however the new funding will now extend support for heat pumps until at least 2025, and also goes further by including training for heat networks.

The heat networks training courses will cover the full lifecycle of the systems from initial design to building, operation, and maintenance. Government is also aiming to develop a series of courses and online training videos for heat networks operation and maintenance.

By providing heat networks training support alongside heat pumps, areas of overlap and collaboration can be better explored, particularly around the installation of large-scale heat pumps for heat networks and shared ground loops.

Government is now seeking expressions of interest from training providers who wish to offer the new grants for heat pump training.

£3.27 million allocated to upgrade Electric Vehicle charging network in Northern Ireland

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A £3.27 million bid to upgrade the Electrical Vehicle charging network across Northern Ireland will see the entirety of the public charging network enhanced for the benefit of communities and electric vehicle users.

Plans for the funding allocation include:

  • replacing 100 fast chargers; the equivalent of 200 charge points
  • upgrading 20 unreliable fast chargers to rapid chargers, more than doubling the existing capacity
  • introducing five high-power charging hubs in key locations, which can charge multiple vehicles at the same time

This would deliver high power charging hubs for the first time in Northern Ireland. The aim is to encourage people to adopt Electric Vehicles and promote green travel, as we transition to cleaner and greener modes of transport.

Drivers to benefit from £20 million EV chargepoint boost

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Drivers will have better access to electric vehicle chargepoints across the country, through a new pilot backed by £20 million of government and industry funding announced today (24 August 2022).

Through the innovative Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot scheme, local authorities and industry will work together to create new, commercial EV charging infrastructure for residents, from faster on-street chargepoints to larger petrol station-style charging hubs.

The rollout supports the government’s drive to encourage more motorists to go electric, which can save drivers money on fuel and running costs, and improve air quality as the country moves towards net zero.

The winners of the pilot fund are:

  • Barnet
  • Dorset
  • Durham
  • Kent
  • Midlands Connect (with Lincolnshire as a lead authority)
  • North Yorkshire
  • Nottinghamshire
  • Suffolk
  • Warrington

The funding is expected to deliver over 1,000 public chargepoints across the areas.

The scheme will help residents without private driveways to have better access to EV chargers, as well as growing the charging network across the country, supporting the nation’s uptake of zero emission vehicles and enabling more people to drive and charge without fear of being caught short, no matter where they are.

The pilot is backed by £10 million of government funding shared among the 9 winning local authorities in the first tranche of the planned £450 million scheme, with winning pilot bids supported by an additional £9 million in private funding. A further £1.9 million will come from public funds across local authorities.

Decarbonisation Minister Trudy Harrison said:

We want to expand and grow our world-leading network of EV chargepoints, working closely with industry and local government, making it even easier for those without driveways to charge their electric vehicles and support the switch to cleaner travel.

This scheme will help to level up electric vehicle infrastructure across the country, so that everyone can benefit from healthier neighbourhoods and cleaner air.

Edmund King OBE, AA president, said:

It is essential that more on-street chargers are delivered to boost the transition to zero emission vehicles for those without home charging.

This injection of an extra £20 million funding will help bring power to electric drivers across England from Durham to Dorset. This is one further positive step on the road to electrification.

RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said:

We know that there are many drivers who do not have driveways or any form of off-street parking, so investing in streetside charging is an absolute necessity. Drivers can also look forward to the prospect of local charging hubs which will give them somewhere to quickly charge their vehicles without needing to drive any considerable distance. The goal must be to spark electric vehicle uptake by creating an excellent charging infrastructure that caters for everyone’s needs.

The scheme will allow local authorities to provide feedback on how to grow the network and the role the private sector can play.

The new LEVI fund builds on the success of the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) which has seen nearly 2,900 chargepoints installed so far with funding provided for approaching 10,000 additional chargepoints in the future.

Following growing demand from local authorities, we’re also announcing a further £10 million in funding which has been brought forward for this year, bringing this year’s ORCS funding to £30 million to help maintain ongoing installations.

New Electricity Networks Commissioner appointed to help ensure home-grown energy for Britain

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Nick Winser CBE is appointed today (6 July 2022) as the UK’s first Electricity Networks Commissioner, in the government’s latest step to ensure secure, clean and affordable British energy for the long term.

Earlier this year, the UK government set out ambitious targets to boost UK energy generation from clean technologies, such as offshore wind and nuclear reactors. Accelerating the country’s domestic supply of clean and affordable electricity will help to drive down bills and increase energy independence – but this also requires new network infrastructure to support it.

Nick’s new role as Electricity Networks Commissioner will be pivotal in helping ensure the right infrastructure, such as electricity poles and transmission lines, are in the right places so clean, British-generated electricity can flow to households across the country.

This includes dramatically reducing timelines for delivering onshore transmission network infrastructure by around 3 years and developing recommendations to help halve the end-to-end project process by the mid-2020s.

Nick has extensive experience in the electricity networks field spanning 30 years, and in advising government and industry on energy policy. He is currently chairman of the Energy Systems Catapult.

Nick’s appointment follows recent announcements of Simon Bowen as industry advisor for Great British Nuclear, and Tim Pick as the government’s Offshore Wind Champion to further boost the UK energy mix for generations to come.

Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said:

I am delighted to appoint Nick Winser as the UK’s first Electricity Networks Commissioner.

Nick will play a pivotal role in ensuring the right network infrastructure is in the right places to ensure households can benefit from our abundant supply of clean, affordable, home-grown energy.

Newly appointed Electricity Networks Commissioner Nick Winser said:

Electricity networks are essential to transporting new low carbon power generation, such as that from offshore wind and nuclear, to where it is needed, in homes and businesses across the country, where it will be used more and more for new purposes like charging electric vehicles and heating households through heat pumps.

I look forward to taking on this important new role where I can help accelerate the delivery of new electricity transmission infrastructure, helping to provide consumers with a secure, reliable, supply of green electricity, while keeping costs as low as possible.

Five reasons to get a heat pump

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It is now cheaper than ever to install cleaner, more energy efficient heating solutions thanks to the government’s new £450 million Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

Homeowners and small businesses across England and Wales can now apply for vouchers to get thousands of pounds off replacing their oil and gas boilers with clean heating systems.

Under the scheme, which will run for 3 years, property owners will be able to get:

  • £5,000 off the cost and installation of an air source heat pump
  • £5,000 off the cost and installation of a biomass boiler
  • £6,000 off the cost and installation of a ground source heat pump

Phil Hurley, Chair of the Heat Pump Association said:

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is a great opportunity for householders to make their home more energy efficient and we encourage anyone thinking about switching out their oil or gas boiler to make use of the grants.

The upfront funding available means that heat pumps have never been more accessible, making it easier than ever for households to reduce their energy bills and carbon footprint.

Here are 5 reasons why you should consider swapping your oil or gas boiler, or direct electric heating, for a heat pump:

1. Reduce your energy bills

Moving to a heat pump means you can avoid the volatile prices associated with gas and oil. If you are using oil, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) or electric heating, you could see a reduction to your energy bill if you move to a heat pump.

2. No VAT to pay on installation

The government has recently announced 0% VAT on the installation of heat pumps and biomass boilers, which will last for 5 years, further reducing the cost of installation.

3. Reduce your carbon footprint and combat climate change

Heat pumps are significantly more efficient than traditional boilers and use cleaner electricity, so will reduce your home’s carbon footprint. A heat pump takes heat at a low temperature from the air or ground, increases that heat to a higher temperature and transfers it into your home to provide heating and hot water.

4. Save time and storage space by stopping fuel deliveries

If you’re using oil or LPG, you’ll no longer need to deal with fuel deliveries and can save space with not needing the storage for this anymore.

5. Get ahead of the curve

Heat pumps are an important part of the future of heating, and installing one now will give you access to the latest technology and allow you to future proof your home.

Check if you are eligible for the scheme or find out more.